Aeroplane



Tio

.HOLLA V. NOBRS, GF EDRTERVLLE, CALILIORNIA.

AEROPLANE.

Application filed September 21, 1921. Serial No. 502,126.

To all @07m/n.- t may conce/m.'

Be it linown that l, Fiorini V. Norms; a citizen of the United States, residing at Porterville, in the county of Tulare and State of IQalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Biercplanes, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to that class of aeroplanes inwhich the fuselage is pendu-` lously suspended from the plane-structure. and is adapted by its relative movement to provide for controlling the longitudinal and lateral balance and the steering of the ma chine.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective aeroplane of this type in which the equilibrium control is not left wholly to the automatic pendulous movements of the fuselage but is under the direct control of the aviator, through his discretionary manipulation of the lines connecting the fuselage and plane-structure, whereby their relative automatic movements due to the pendulously suspended fuselage are defined and controlled; and the whole plane-structure thus cruised to restore and maintain the equilibrium.

With this and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel aeroplane which l shall now fully describe by reference to the accompanying drawings, though it is to be understood that while l. have herein illustrated my aeroplane in its bestJ form, various changes in construction and arrangement may be made, without affecting the essential features of my invention as defined by my attached claims.

lin the drawings- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my aeroplane.

Fig.

Fig. 3 is a the rudders.

Fig. a is a part sectional rear elevation of the complete aeroplane, taken in the direction of the arrow on the line a-a of Fig. 1.

'Fig 5 is a central vertical section, enlarged, of the fuselage and power transmitting` mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a detailed sectional steering gear.

ln the drawings, the reference numerals 1 designate lifting planes, which are formed in any suitable and well known manner, and are preferably, though not essentially, are" 2 is a plan view of the same.

detailed plan view ofv one of plan of the ranged in pairs, as biplanes, one member of each pair being above the other. @ne set of planes is in front, and the other is in the rear, and horizontal braces 2 and guy wires 3 hold all the planes in their respective positions to form a rigid structure of the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and el of the drawings.

A fuselage 4.- is hung from the approximate center of the plane structure, and is capable of swinging movement with :respect to said plane structure, to permit it to remain horizontal even though the plane structure be tilted to a considerable angle, either fore and aft or laterally. To permit such relative movement on the part of the fuselage 4l, it is hung by a tubular suspen sion member 5, having a ball and lsocket connection 6 with a housing member 7, mounted upon the braces 2 approximately midway between the front and rear planes.

rl`he relative movement of the plane structure with respect to the fuselage 4l is controlled by means of four cables. lTwo of these, indicated by the numerals 8 and 8 in Fig. 1, extend forwardly and rearwardly from the fuselage, and are fastened to the front and rear planes at 9 and 9 respectively,r said points of fastening being in the lateral centers of the respective planes. Said cables enter the fuselage at its front and rear ends respectively, and, passing over guide pulleys 10 and 10', Fig. 5, are wound upon a drum 11 in such a manner that, upon rotation of said drum 11, one cable is drawn in and the other paid out, thus tilting the plane structure endwise with respect to the fuselage. lf desired. the cables 8 and 8 may be one continuous cable, fastened at its center to the drum 11. The other two cables 12 and 12', Figs, 2 and ll, extend laterally from the fuselage 4, and are fastened, at 13 and 13 respectively, to outermost horizontal braces 2. Said cables 12 and 12 are wound upon a drum 14C, Fig. 5, in a manner similar to the cables 8 an 8', so that, by rotation of said drum 11i, the plane structure is tilted laterally.

rllhe drum 11 is fixed upon a vertical shaft 15, and the drum 14 is similarly fixed upon a sleeve 16 surrounding said shaft.. See Fig. 5. Hand wheels 17 and 18 respectively, are provided for independently turning said shafts and their drums. The lateral cables 12 and 12' pass through guides 19` and 19", Figs. 1 and 2, which are carried upon the :insonne outerendsof arms and 20 respectively, assisting the rise and retarding the descent movement.

fuselage 4 gears 27, a the tubular thelatter being pivotally connected with the fuselage 4l, for vertical movement only, at 2l and 2l. The purpose of A,said guide arms is to prevent the fuselage from turning, hori- Zontally, with respect to the plane structure, without, however, interfering with its tilting movement.

At the sides ofthe plane structure, betweenthe front and rear planes. are vertically disposed rudders 22 and 22', Figs. l to Ll, pivotally mounted for horizontal swinging The rear ends of said rudders are connected togetherv by a horizontal cable 23 and their forward ends are connected with the fuselage il by cables 2li and 24, said cables being fastened tothe fuselage at 25 and 25 respectively. The rudders 22 and 22 arethere'fore operated in unison and automatically by the lateral tilting of the plane structure rlheaeroplane is guided entirely by means of the hand wheels 17 and 18. i The fuselage 'is maintained in a horizontal position by its yown weight, which is balanced about the suspension member 5. By tilting the plane structure fore and aft, by means of the hand wheel 17 and the cables 8 and 8', the machine is caused to go up or down, whether the'v front of said plane `structure is raised or lowered. Similarly, by tilting the plane structures laterally,`by means of the hand wheel 18 and the cables 12A and 12, the

lmachine is banked, and at the same time the rudders 22 and 22 are operated to guide the machine into a curve. Said rudders are so proportioned, and so connected with relation lto the lateral tilting ofthe plane structure, that the machine is guidedinto the approximateidegree of curvature for which it "isjbanlred,l inyorder to avoid side slipping.- The weight of the balanced fuselage, moreover, servesto automatically stabilize the machine.

An'engine 2G,` Fig. 5,' is mounted inthe and drives, by means of bevel vertical shaft 2S carried within suspension member 5. Said shaft28 has a universal joint 29 inthe cenesta with 'Clutches 85 .and

ter lof the'ball joint 6, and is extended uo w'ardly therefrom as shown atf30and drives forwardly andi'rearv'vardly extending horizontal shaftsll and 3l by means of bevel .gearing 32 inclosed within the housing 7.

The vertical shaft 30 is provided with a clutch 353, controlled by any convenient means, as, for example, a cord' 34. The horir/iontal shafts 3l .and 3l are similarly prol 35 respectively, controlled by cords 86 and 36. The horizontal shafts ,3l and 31 Carry propellers 36 and 36respectively,li`igs.` l and 2, posi-l t'ioned 4outside lthe planes l, `for propelling' the machine forwardly, andY the vertical'. shaftz30-carries a horizontal propel-ler 37 for according to of the machine. by manipulating the piojjiellers may be operated, as desired.

it will he seen from the foregoing that the aeroplane has great inherent stability, not only on account of the swinging suspension of the fuselage, but also because of its posie tion beneath the approximate center of .the plane structure. Moreover, the cables S and tl and 'l2 and l2 are sulliciently strong to support the entire weight of fuselage. so that even if the suspension member and drive shaft 2S should break or become detached at either end. the fuselage would still. be supported by the said cables, and 'its weight would enable the aviator to still control the machine, at least to a coi-isiderable degree, by means of the hand wheels il?" and 1S. .in such a case, the fuselage would remain right side up, because the cables S and 8 and l2 and l2 enter it considerably above its center of gravity, and the machine could be made to `glide to a safe landing.

l. An aeroplane comprising a plane-structure formed of connected fore and aft planes; rudders carried by said structure between its fore and aft planes; a fuselage mate center of said plane-structure forrelative universal swinging movement; lines connecting the fuselage fore and aft with the front and rear of the planestructure; lines connecting the sides of the fuselage with the sides of the plane-structure gineans operated by the aviator for independently controlling said lines; and lines connecting the fuselage with. the rudders for automatically operating them by the relative movement of the fuselage. I j

3. An aeroplane comprising a plancjstrucvture formed of connected fore and aftplanes; a fuselage; ay hollow suspension .member includinga universal. joint, said member pendulously suspending the fuselage from the approximate center ofthe plane-structure; lines connecting thek fuselage fore and aft with the front .and rear of the plane-structure; linesconnecting the -sidesvof the fuselagevviththe sides of the 'toy for Y o, noox e fuselage; e v'ecol propeiel Cmyef 'the front olf' the planetuotuz'eg a Yeloo propeller Cmried at Ehe Teer hefeo; horronte propeller cared. by he plme SluC-u'e above its approximate Center; and power tzenslnting oonneoions opez'eng through Ahe hollow suspension woher and `the mais of its uni- Yersa ohh, 'iff h'vngj 'the propelles,

i. im aeroplane Comprising e lane-strue- "Sure omned of connected ore and aft pim' 1 cerne@ by S2119; trucul bejween its Loe and zl'fl plonesg o. fueeage; n hollow suspension member including a une'sa jon'7 Sed nexnher pendulously suspending the fuseaje from the approximate oene1 of the p1 n -s'fuetureg lines Connecting; Ithe fnseege *fone and ein with Jghe from, and reef of @bhe plane-suctue; lines connecting 'the sides of the fuselage With `the Siders of the plane-exfueuyeg means ope?- eed by me aviator iol' ndependen'ly oontong Seid lines: lines connecting +ehe sides of the fuselage w zh the ruddefs 'for automzloaly opela 1g hezng a motor carried hy the fuselage; a vertice?. propeller C211'- rled at the front of the plane-Snctme; L

plopele' worried et I'ihe rear thereof;

horizontal propeller Carried by Jhe plane 11g-inmune above its epp'oxhnate center; and power transmitting connections opere'ng through the hollow Sueoenson member and the axis of its unvelsel joint fo' fflvng the pl'opellers.

En tesmony whereof have signed my name to this speocacon.`

HOLLA V. NORRS. 

